Iran Live: Parliament Finally Approves Government's Budget

1749 GMT: Election Watch

Head of judiciary Sadegh Larijani, in a veiled attack on President Ahmadinejad, has warned about the misuse of public resources for election purposes: "Unfortunately, some of the actions are carried out either by means of state budgets."

Larijani continued, "It is illegal to use government resources for election purposes," and he called on the Guardian Council to "intensify their supervision".

Critics of President Ahmadinejad have accused him of building up staffs in favourable Government office and using funds to back his chosen candidate in June's Presidential election. They have also condemned an event in Tehran's Azadi Square tomorrow as a campaign rally for Ahmadinejad's right-hand man Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai.

1249 GMT: Tough Talk of the Day

An EA correspondent writes more about the declaration of former President Hashemi Rafsanjani that he will not stand in June's election (see 0611 GMT)....

The opposition site Saham broke the news, alleging it was leaked to it by one of the former provincial Governors meeting Rafsanjani. It has not been vigorously denied so far. So let's assume it is real for the time being.

Rafsanjani says that his candidacy makes no sense, because the "[Supreme] Leader has lost confidence and/or faith in him". He then has a tirade to the effect that the country is being run by the Revolutionary Guards, and they have their tentacles on the whole economy, and any attempt to change the situation is probably going to be unsuccessful.

The message from Rafsanjani seems to be that the Khamenei-Guards duopoly will not sit back and observe a repeat of reformist President Mohammad Khatami's 1997 victory or even of the disputed 2009 election.

0933 GMT: Tough Talk of the Day

Mohammad Reza Naqdi, the head of the Basij militia, has declared that President Obama is a "liar" and "we will soon defeat the US by technical knockout".

0743 GMT: Ahmadinejad Watch

Mansour Haghighatpour of Parliament's National Security Commission, has criticised President Ahmadinejad over a planned event in Tehran's Azadi Stadium, claiming it is effectively an rally for the President's preferred candidate in June's election.

Haghighatpour said, "When provinces have difficulty getting 50 million Toman for their budgets, how is it possible to spend 100 billion Toman on a political meeting?"

Golnaz Esfandiari posts an overview of the dispute.

0643 GMT: Earthquake

After a day of conflicting and confusing reports, Iranian media --- citing the Deputy Governor of Sistan and Baluchestan Province in southeastern Iran --- say one person was killed and five others were injured in Tuesday's earthquake.

The tremor, measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale, hit a rural area between the cities of Saravan and Khash.

Fars News initially claimed more than 40 people died, but was rebuked by other outlets for spreading false information.

Last week, an earthquake in Bushehr Province in southern Iran killed more than 30 people.

0611 GMT: Election Watch

According to opposition sites, former President Hashemi Rafsanjani --- declaring that he will not stand in June's election --- has said the Revolutionary Guards will only be satisfied w control over the entire country.

Rafsanjani allegedly made the remarks in a meeting with Governors during his Presidency and that of successor Mohammad Khatami.

0605 GMT: Foreign Affairs Watch (Syrian Front)

Regime outlets feature a sustained push against the "foreign intervention" in Syria.

Press TV summarises the line of Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani as he met the Syrian Ambassador: “Persisting with resistance efforts and the strengthening of people’s front against terrorist groups will ultimately lead to the victory of the Syrian people and government."

Fars News English highlights the commander of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Qassem Suleimani, as he declared that Arab states are spending huge sums of money in Syria and Lebanon to change the fate of the two countries, but have failed to reach their goals so far.

Addressing war veterans in southeastern Iran, asserted:

In Syria, some Arab countries are spending money to make conditions tense, but the nation and government of Syria are resisting....

They spent $1.2 billion during the last elections in Lebanon in a bid to prevent Hezbollah's victory, but to no avail.

0550 GMT: Election Watch (Revolutionary Guards) Edition

Ali Saeedi, the Supreme Leader's representative to the Revolutionary Guards, said that principlists should nominate a single candidate and that the June Presidential election would be a race between principlists, reformists, Kargozaran (i.e. the Rafsanjani camp), and supporters of the government (i.e. Ahmadinejad).

Saeedi criticised the principlists for introducing a large number of candidates, and called for unity.

Saeedi also reiterated that the Guards would not interfere in the elections.

Referring to Ayatollah Khamenei's call for Iranians to create an "epic" year, Saeedi said that the Iranian nation faced a major test in what was an "epic election".

"The fate of the country in this historic moment is marked by the wisdom and insight of all the people in the path of excellence, independence and improving economic conditions and our global standing," he said.

0535 GMT: Election Watch.

Police have announced a new base for “the provision of election security” in June's Presidential election.

Brigadier General Saeed Montazeralmehdi said the Fajr base will include monitoring of anti-regime websites and social media.

0525 GMT: Budget Watch.

Four weeks into the Iranian New Year, and after months of political battles, Parliament finally approved the 2013/14 budget on Tuesday.

The Majlis reduced the Government's planned expenditure by 1.2%.

Earlier this month the MPs had rejected President Ahmadinejad's plans. The Government has been operating since March on an emergency three-month budget authorised by Parliament.

Disputes over the spending have included criticism of Ahmadinejad directing money to his office and those of his supporters, while cutting funding for institutions like Parliament and the Guardian Council. The President has also face ongoing attacks on the long-delayed second phase of his subsidy cuts.